Medical Terminology (Neurological) – Flashcards
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AMS
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altered mental status - any state of awareness that differs from the normal awareness of a conscious person
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Aphasia
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inability to express oneself through speech
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Ataxia
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gross lack of coordination of muscle movements, such as staggering gait
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Dizziness
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a word that is often used to describe either lightheadedness or vertigo
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Dysarthria
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motor speech disorder due to weakness, paralysis, or muscular un-coordination, characterized by poor articulation
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Dysphasia
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impairment of speech
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Fecal incontinence
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inability to control one's bowels
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HA
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headache
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Hemiparesis
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weakness on one side of the body
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Hemiplegia
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total paralysis on one side of the body
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Lightheadedness
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the feeling that you are about to faint or "pass out"
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LOC
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loss of consciousness
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Paresthesias
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sensation of tingling, prickling, or numbness of a person's skin
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Post-ictal
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the altered state of consciousness that person enters after experiencing a seizure
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Saddle anesthesia
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loss of sensation restricted to the area of the buttocks and perineum
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Syncope
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temporary loss of consciousness (fainting)
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Syncope - near
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pre- or near-syncope occurs when individual can remember events during the episode, not a total loss of consciousness
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Tinnitus
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an abnormal noise in the ear, such as a ringing or swishing sound
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Urinary incontinence
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the involuntary excretion of urine
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Vertigo
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a type of dizziness, where there is a feeling of motion when one is stationary
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Bell's Palsy
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a temporary form of facial paralysis that occurs with damage to the nerve that controls movement of the muscles in the face
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Cerebral Aneurysm
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a cerebrovascular disorder in which weakness in the wall of the cerebral artery or vein causes a localized dilation or ballooning of the blood vessel
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Cerebral Palsy
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a neuromuscular condition of hypertonia and spasticity in the muscles of the lower extremities of the human body
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CVA
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cerebrovascular accident (stroke)
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Dementia
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loss of brain function that affects memory, thinking, language, judgment, and behavior
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Epidural abscess
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a collection of pus between the outer covering of the brain and spinal cord and the bones of the skull or spine
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Epidural hematoma
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a type of traumatic brain injury in which a buildup of blood occurs between the dura matter and the skull
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Epilepsy
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brain disorder involving repeated, spontaneous seizures of any type
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Hydrocephalus
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a buildup of fluid inside the skull, leading to brain swelling
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Meningitis
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swelling and irritation (inflammation) of the membranes covering the brain and the spinal cord
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Parkinson's
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a degenerative disorder of the central nervous system that impairs the sufferer's motor skills, cognitive processes, and other functions
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Peripheral Neuropathy
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damage to nerves of the peripheral nervous system, which may be caused either by diseases of the nerves or from the side-effects of systemic illness
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SAH
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subarachnoid hemorrhage - sudden bleeding into the subarachnoid space
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Subdural Hematoma
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a collection of blood on the surface of the brain
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TIA
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transient ischemic attack (mini-stroke)
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A&O
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alert and oriented (normal finding: A&O X 3 - person, place and time)
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Babinski
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necrologic test based upon what the big toes does when the sole of the foot is stimulated (normal finding: toes down going)
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Romberg Test
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to test cerebellar function; patient is stood up and asked to close his eyes. A loss of balance is interpreted as a positive Romberg sign
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Finger-Nose-Finger Test (FNF)
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to test cerebellar function; test of coordination in which the patient is asked to alternately touch their nose and the examiner's finger
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Heel to Shin Test
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to test cerebellar function; the patient is asked to touch the heel of one foot to the opposite knee and then drag their heel in a straight line all the way down the front of their shin and back up again
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Alt rapid hand movements
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to test cerebellar function; the patient is asked to strike one hand on the dorsum of the other hand, raise, the hand, turn it over, and then strike it back down as fast as possible
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Clonus
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a series of involuntary muscular contractions due to sudden stretching of the muscle
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Cranial Nerves
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twelve pairs of nerves that emanate from the nervous tissue of the brain (normal finding: CN's II-IV intact, CN's grossly intact)
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DTRs
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deep tendon reflexes, measured on a scale from 1+ to 5+, 2+ is normal
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Focal neuro deficit
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a problem nerve, spinal cord, or brain function that affects a specific location
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Gag reflex
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reflex contraction of the back of the throat, evoked by touching the soft palate
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Gait
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how the person walks; can be shuffling, unsteady, ataxic or if normal will be steady and at a normal pace
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GCS
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Glasgow Coma Scale: a neurological scale that aims to give a reliable, objective way of recording the conscious state of a person. Measure eyes, verbal and motor response (normal is 15)
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Meningismus
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signs and symptoms are headache, neck stiffness
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Mentation
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mental activity; thinking
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Somnolent
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extremely sleepy or drowsy
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Obtunded
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depressed level of consciousness, mentally dulled
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Motor strength
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muscle strength is rates on a scale of 0/5 to 5/5 (BLE and BUE)
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MAE
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moves all extremities
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Muscle tone
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the continuous and passive partial contraction of the muscles
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Posturing
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the involuntary flexion or extension of the arms and legs (normal is no posturing)
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Pronator drift
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the patient is asked to forward flex his arms 90 degrees at the shoulders, supinate his forearms, close his eyes and hold the position. If a forearm pronates then the person is said to have pronator drift to that side
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Contracture
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a shortening of a muscle or joint, usually in response to prolonged hypertonic spasticity in a concentrated muscle area
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Nuccal rigidity
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inability to flex the head forward due to rigidity of the neck muscles
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Resting tremor
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tremor which occurs when a body part is at complete rest again gravity
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Grand Mal (tonic-clonic) seizure activity
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a type of generalized seizure that affects the entire brain
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Focal seizure activity
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seizures which affect only a part of the brain
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Petit Mal seizure activity
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absence seizure
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Marching seizure activity
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a clonic seizure that begins in one area of the body (typically the hand or foot) and moves progressively towards the other side of the body
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Postictal
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the altered state of consciousness that a person enters after experiencing a seizure
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Sensation
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the perception of a stimulus as touch (normal finding: sensation intact, no sensory deficits)
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EEG
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electroencephalogram is a test that measures and records the electrical activity of your brain
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Head CT
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computed tomography (CT) scan of the head
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Head MRI
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magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) scan of the head, not frequently done in the ED
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Lumbar Puncture
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a procedure to collect and look at the cerebrospinal fluid surrounding the brain and spinal cord, also called a spinal tap
